Film directed by Westport Central grad making waves on festival circuit

“Where We Left Off,” a film directed by Westport Central graduate Alyssa Carroll, has been making the rounds at domestic film festivals and will be released online on Dec. 2. Pictured above: Actor Landry Allbright on set in Sherman Oaks, CA.

WESTPORT — A short film directed by a Westport Central graduate is making waves on the festival circuit.

“Where We Left Off,” directed by Alyssa Carroll (‘08), was screened at the Lake Champlain International Film Festival in Plattsburgh in November.

“It was great, it was absolutely fantastic,” said Carroll, a Westport native who now lives and works in Los Angeles.

The flick was written by Carroll’s friend Ariana Sigel as a cathartic way to deal with the loss of her father.

After showing the script to Carroll and editor Emily Freund, the three decided to bring the script to life.

A crowdfunding campaign raised $7,600, and the film was produced by Carroll’s own Pixstaff Media.

Filming of the one-woman film took place over a two-day stretch in an apartment in Sherman Oaks last September with a crew of about a dozen.

Landry Allbright plays Sarah George, a young woman with an anxiety disorder who is coming out to the memory of her father, something her character was unable to do while he was still alive.

“When we cast her, her audition just blew everyone out of the water,” Carroll said.

Carroll says these themes of tolerance and diversity are critical, and a driving force behind Pixstaff, which brands itself as a forward-looking production company:

“We’re not old men in suits,” reads their Twitter description.

“Now, more than ever, it’s important to showcase LBGTQ stories, and highlight people are people no matter their differences,” Carroll said.

The crowd in Plattsburgh was very responsive, Carroll said, and the film will be screened at the Moonfaze Feminist Film Festival in Hollywood on Dec. 1.

An online release will follow on Dec. 2.

Grief, said Carroll, is a universal emotion and can sometimes feel like an “impossible maze.”

“I wanted to express the idea that although grief is a personal journey, it does not need to be journeyed alone,” Carroll said. “It is my hope that this film can provide starting points for conversation or even a moment of catharsis for individuals dealing with grief.”